Jimmy Anderson has ‘stopped trying to make sense’ of England Test axe

Jimmy Anderson is still struggling to make sense of his omission from the Test side and says he has had no communication from the England camp.

England’s record wicket-taker was left out of the West Indies series last month, alongside his long-term opening partner Stuart Broad, after their 4-0 Ashes defeat – with the interim director of cricket Andrew Strauss suggesting it was an opportunity for the team to develop.

Broad revealed in the aftermath of the decision that the pair, who have a combined 1,177 Test wickets between them, had only received a five-minute phone call from Strauss to explain the decision.

Anderson, 39, is preparing to start the new season with Lancashire but says he is still unable to comprehend his England axe. “I’ve stopped trying to make sense of it and just put it to one side,” he said.

“It was completely out of my control. I’ve got to focus on what I can control and that is bowling as well as I possibly can. Firstly that is here these next two months, try and take as many wickets as I possibly can and see what happens from there.

“Something like this, for me, is quite a big deal because it came out of the blue a little bit. I still feel like I’m bowling well. I was in the top 10 of the world rankings so I feel like I’m doing a good job for the team. I feel like I’ve got a lot to offer, not just on the field but off it. I’ve really enjoyed working with the other bowlers that are coming through.

“After an Ashes defeat everything comes under scrutiny. There’s lots going on, people losing their jobs and stuff. I would have loved a sit-down, face-to-face, but obviously that’s not always possible in these situations. I would have loved more than a five-minute phone call, but again that’s not always